mTOR signaling contributes to system-driven rhythmic gene expression in mouse liver

While this rhythmicity is regulated by the circadian clock present in nearly every cell, accumulating evidence indicates that cycling transcriptomes are also controlled by rhythmic systemic signals that originate from the daily rhythm of food intake and that bypass peripheral clocks to initiate rhythmic transcription.

The underlying mechanisms remain however largely unknown. Here, we show that signaling through the nutrient-sensing kinase mTOR is both necessary and sufficient to mediate food intake-driven rhythmic gene expression in mouse liver. Pharmacological inhibition of mTOR just before the active phase desynchronizes the phase of mTOR-driven rhythmic genes without affecting clock-controlled rhythmic genes.